This invention relates generally to vises for holding workpieces, and more particularly, to a vise having readily interchangeable jaw members for holding various types of workpieces.
Vises are used in businesses and homes by workmen to hold workpieces while some operation is performed on the workpiece. A typical bench vice, for example, includes a base for attachment to a workbench, a housing attached to the base and having a fixed jaw, a moveable jaw, and a mechanism linking the movable jaw to the support housing so that the movable jaw may be moved toward the fixed jaw to contact and hold a workpiece between the two jaws.
Each jaw typically has a working surface which contacts the workpiece and transmits the compressive holding loads to the workpiece. The working surface in most vises is smooth or scored steel, but it is sometimes found that for holding specific workpieces the working surface is more appropriately of a different configuration, finish or material. It is therefore desirable that provision be made for utilizing any of a variety of working surfaces for holding specific workpieces between the jaws of the vise.
In one approach to allowing the use of a variety of working surfaces, the standard flat-faced jaws are used, and an intermediate piece of special tooling is placed between the jaw and the workpiece. This method is often unsatisfactory, however, since the workman must attempt to simultaneously position the workpiece and the tooling, and also tighten the vise jaws. In another approach, several designs for interchangeable jaw members having particular working surfaces have been proposed, but in such designs each removable jaw member is fastened to the jaw with a bolt, screw or other semi-permanent fastener, so that changing the jaw member is a time-consuming process which may interfere with the smooth flow of operations on the workpiece. To use such jaw members the workman must remove the fasteners to loosen and remove one set of jaw members and then install and fasten into position the second set of jaw members. This is a cumbersome process whose shortcomings may deter the workman from utilizing a jaw member having the proper working surface.
Accordingly, there has been a need for a vise wherein the working surface for contacting the workpiece may be readily interchanged with another working surface more appropriate to a specific job to be done. The present invention fulfills this need, and further provides related advantages.